'Dead' man walking, morgue staff running

Mortuary attendants in Durban were shocked this week when a man, who had been declared dead by paramedics and taken to a government mortuary, suddenly started breathing and woke up in front of them.

Gale Street Mortuary Unit Commander Thegran Moodley said: "The man had been involved in a car accident somewhere in the Umbumbulu area at the weekend. After the paramedics had certified him dead, my staff were called in to fetch the body."

After arriving at the mortuary the attendants had been preparing to label the body when the man had started breathing heavily and had woken up.

"The attendants ran away because they were shocked," said Moodley.

"We called the paramedics to come and attend to this person who had regained life. They took him to King Edward VIII Hospital for treatment."

Hospital staff confirmed on Thursday night that a man had been sent to the hospital from the Gale Street mortuary, but refused to give any details.